#Jesus the Promised Messiah

[robespapier]

Me: why did you keep depictions of Jesus suffering in your home? *point at huge and terrifying crucifix I've inherited*

My Catholic ancestors: did you just reblog a terrifying depiction of Robespierre suffering AND subject all your friends to it?

[tothecrucifieddeer]

When my wings came out as sickly pus filled bones and welts, I knew what I was and I was alone. I found myself unworthy and unholy in the depths of my desire for God. He sent me you. As a sick joke perhaps.

In my desires for you and your holy heart, I devoured my own splitting skin--took the seed in the womb and turned it sour, uprooted our legacy in herbs and in the dark. I didn't mean to scare you. Didn't mean to hurt what the angels blessed, but I have a horror about me--somethings are born terrible and all their lives long to be better--but every choice I make turns out to be the wrong one.

And there is you. In my sorrows. In my turning. In the open skies of yearning--my fingers like shattered glass, my tongue a silver dagger--I am opening the wound for your own good Messiah. Magadelene is here to give her demons to you and I am here to chain them. Do not kill the pigs. Do not harm what cannot understand. I do it gladly. I will always be unclean.

I hope you love me anyway. I'm the kicked animal eating from the dirt. Drinking from the mud. I only ever wanted to be your best punching bag, your loveliest curse.

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

Thinking about Jon, Jaime, and Theon all journeying to the underworld and being surrounded by death/dead people. I’ve always believed that the important connector here is Jon (because I believe he functions as a sort of God of the Dead figure - though that’s a story for another day), but like…it’s so interesting that all of them have this experience, and that Theon’s and Jaime’s dreams are connected mostly to Jon (and I guess to each other if you buy into weirwood.net). It’s hard not to read into the religious symbolism here because GRRM is no C.S Lewis so it’s hard to tell what Christian parallels are intended by the author. But like…one messiah, two “criminals”, all go through “death”? But who will reach salvation and who won’t? 🤔

[northwoodsfan]

Grace Nugget for 7.2.24

Grace Nuggets: Simple reminders of God’s great love for you.

[kdmiller55]

The Day of the Lord is Near

15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you;     your deeds shall return on your own head. 16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,     so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow,     and shall be as though they had never been. 17 But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,     and it shall be…

[spiritsoulandbody]

#DailyDevotion The LORD Primarily Wants To Be Loving To You

#DailyDevotion The LORD Primarily Wants To Be Loving To You Joel 2 18Then the LORD was zealous for His country and took pity on His people. 19The LORD answered His people: "Now I'm sending you fresh grain, new wine, and olive oil, until you are, satisfied. And I will no longer let you be a disgrace among the nations. 20I will put the northern army far from you and drive him to a barren and forsaken land, his frontt soldiers into the. eastern sea and his rear soldiers into the western sea. His foul odor will come up and his stench rise!" Well if ever there was an example of a Law->Gospel sermon, the book of Joel would be said example. We've been drowning in the Law, its commands, threats and punishments since chapter 1 verse 1. Now there is a sudden shift to full bore Gospel. Mind you, there is a space in time between 2:17 and 2:18. So maybe the point of a sermon isn't quite spot on. All of Joel's sermons have been nothing but Law for the most part up to this point. Starting here it is going to be mostly Gospel (what God has done, what He is doing and what He is promising to do for us). The LORD is zealous for His country and His people. They apparently, like the Ninevites, heard the call to repentance and ran with it. They tore their hearts, turned from their sins and idols and turned to the LORD's name for mercy, kindness, steadfast live, grace and forgiveness. This of course is all the LORD ever wanted to bestow upon His people and well all people everywhere. I've seen a meme recently countering the “reconstructed” Christian argument, “Better obey me or I will send you to hell,” with, “You were already going to hell and I came to rescue you from your fate.” Certainly a different paradigm of thinking. If you're not thinking the LORD our God is primarily grace motivated towards you, then you have a perverted mind and spirit. Change your mind and you will find a God always waiting with open arms waiting to embrace you in the person of Christ Jesus. So the disaster the LORD was bringing upon His people, the locusts and then some army, He is now drawing to a near. They have served their purpose in waking up His people from their sleep of death. So the “who knows,” of the earlier verses ends up with the LORD blessing the people, reversing what the locusts and the army had previously done. The things needed for worship, grain and wine, are restored. The LORD has removed their disgrace among the nations. Now at this point it seems the prophecy is forward looking. For we know at the very least, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and then the Romans humbled the Israelites and the Jews, and they still lack no trouble unto this day. Even the true Israel, the Church, suffers until the second coming of our LORD Jesus Christ. So the removal of the disgrace forever seems to be tied to belonging to Jesus on the Last Day. The destruction of the enemies from the north hearken to Revelation 19 where the enemies of Christ and His Church become food for birds in the great feast of our God. So we, all people, are called to turn to our Father in heaven, through our LORD Jesus Christ, and expect from Him to bestow upon us these good things when Jesus' kingdom is made manifest. The suffering we endure now is for our good, giving us repentance and life eternal. O Forgiving Father, turn us from our sins to Your heart, so we may receive from all the blessings You want to bestow upon us, now and forever. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Read the full article

[hmdavis02]

Choosing Life

Moses was nearing the end of his substantial ministry, preparing to hand leadership off to Joshua, and getting the descendants of Israel ready to take possession of the land promised to Abraham many generations before. In light of his, Moses had just finished reiterating the entire covenant between God and His chosen people so they would go in with a clear understanding of what it looked like to…

[ultrachoppedpenguinbouquet]

Malachi

[coreofthebible]

Covenants and Promises

Today, I wanted to take a closer look at the concept of covenants, and how covenants are represented throughout Scripture. With an understanding of how covenants worked in the ancient world, we can gain a better perspective on the application of these covenantal principles today. So, to begin with, in its simplest form, a covenant can be defined as an agreement between parties. In the Bible,…

[cam-ulu29]

hey guys if you live in Louisiana and you like plays, you should go see Messiah. No religion required for enjoyment. It runs for three weekends but tickets sell out fast. I promise it’s good Bill Clinton went, like, five times.

[biblebloodhound]

The Angels' Candle of Peace (Luke 1:68-79)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.He has raised up a horn of salvation for us    in the house of his servant David(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),salvation from our enemies    and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors    and to remember his holy covenant,the oath he swore to our father…

[machineheraldbabe]

viktor, a messiah inverted.

arcane season 2 spoilers throughout.

I have a plethora of thoughts on Viktor's strictly season 2, act 1 arc so far and I'd like to get them down in writing before act 2 drops. without a clue about how this evolves in future acts, I'd like to unpack the ways in which arcane has painted Viktor not as a simple Christ-figure, but an inverted messianic figure in just 2 tight episodes.

important note: i'm speaking strictly in terms of literary/film analysis. as you'll see, i'm taking an archetypal angle and won't be evoking any true discussions of faith in this post. i would never want to offend anyone of any religious beliefs, and i hope the secondary source i bring in helps clarify my meaning <3

Lit scholar and professor Robert Detweiler, writing in a very old (1964) but useful article about Christ figures in American literature, defines 3 manifestations of such symbolism: the disguised biblical christ; the christ figure as "mythological archetype;" and the christ figure as a symbol. i'll be using the second definition, the archetype, which he defines as the following:

“He can be the redeemer on the supernatural level who mediates between God and man or the culture-bringer on the natural level who introduces people to a better life " (115).

*In general, when I'm talking about a Christ figure (which I'll then invert in Viktor's case), I mean a fictionalized account of Christ's experiences and teachings, in whatever way they can manifest in the corresponding literature/story.

Arcane is very heavy on archetypes, and this version of a Christ figure is the most divorced from any distinctly biblical iterations that would hinder an analysis like this one. This definition then invokes 2 main questions: who is the God, or the transcendent, in Arcane, and what is the "better life?" I argue the following: the transcendent would refer to the arcane itself, as it's the only larger than life force we have to work with at this point in the series; the "better life" is the healing Viktor is offering shimmer addicts. Culture-bringer makes Viktor into a bestower of the knowledge the he was "granted" from above (time away from Zaun, time spent enduring the Hexcore). His "descent" to the undercity represents a "mission" of spreading that knowledge and healing. All that, combined with a stunningly on the nose visual rework, he's got the full Jesus-Christ-Allegory package.

But I just don't think it's so black and white!

They've altered an otherwise one-for-one replication of traditional, overdone Christ, messianic allegories into an eerie perversion. I've broken that down into 6 main points...

An Unwilling Resurrection

As Viktor states very obliquely to Jayce, "I was supposed to die." 1x09 all but closes with Viktor telling Jayce to allow him to die by promising to destroy the Hexcore. With his time running out, Viktor resigns himself to his own death; he would even have something of a legacy, as pointed out by Heimerdinger.

But Jayce wrenches him back to life. Whereas a typical Christ figure, in Detweiler's view especially, would have this resurrection spring from a transcendent divine will, Viktor is fighting against said will. He rebukes the life that's been re-thrust upon him. So, while it may be a Christ-like resurrection on the surface, it's far from it in intent and impact.

A Concealed Crucifixion

Viktor's physical positioning is very similar to that of a figure nailed to a cross, sans the fully outstretched arms, in this full-body shot. Yet, whereas a Christ's figure's demise would most likely be displayed as a testament of that character's sacrifice, Jayce has concealed Viktor. He lets only his most trusted confidant, Mel, witness Viktor. Maybe Cait has seen him, too, based on her conversation with Jayce, but in general he's not been seen by a large audience.

The Empty Tomb

Christ's departure from the tomb after 3 days is crucial tenet of Christian belief -- Viktor leaving his cocoon/tomb is not joyous, nor is it a sign of transcendent prophecy. If the arcane is the transcendent in this case, Heimerdinger's frequent warnings about its potential for destruction do not promise anything good by its manifestation walking among the common people - a marked difference from a traditional Christ figure. The empty cavern he leaves is but an eerie revision of the stone being moved from the tomb's opening.

Blind Leading the Blind

Viktor is not on a divine-inspired mission; he's being manipulated to some degree by an entity that has invaded his psyche, taking the form of Sky. He's not piloting himself, nor is there a benevolent transcendent being guiding him toward spreading good will. Viktor is blind, not a teacher, and he leads the blind, the shimmer addicts, further into a darkness over which he has no control (yet! I'm confident he'll be regaining agency soon). Even his eyes, now without their old amber hue, point to the fact that he's not seeing nor living clearly right now.

Cultists. Not Disciples.

The blind in question are not called to love and learn from Viktor organically. Whether by implication or a plot device to expounded upon later, Viktor very frighteningly draws the shimmer addict (Huck) toward him and forces his power unto him. As far as we can tell now, the result was nothing bad, but the Sump addicts have bent their knees to him out of desperate fear, not benevolence or worship. The mercy he's extended them is inspired by the malevolent arcane, which seems hungry and commanding.

Enslavement to, Not Embodiment of, the Transcendent

While Viktor has consumed (or been consumed by?) the arcane, he still does not embody it. Despite aligning with Detweiler's "culture-bringer," Viktor can only maintain this for so long. His body is weakened by this episodic healing - he collapses after healing Huck the first time. And in the newly released poster, we can see what appears to be brown rust/rot beginning to corrupt his hand.

If Viktor truly embodied the transcendent, the arcane, it would mesh properly with his person. Instead, he's been enslaved to it. The degree to which it's currently affecting him may be up for debate, but all signs point to Viktor not being totally with us just yet.

In sum, Viktor has the superficial workings of a typical messianic symbol, but beneath the surface, the writers have made not an anti-Christ, but an upside-down version. If Viktor had malicious intent and spread what was outwardly harmful, especially inspiring that in others, then a new term may be necessary. But the tragedy involved in his story so far is that of attempted healing, attempted redemption, and attempted forgiveness all being corrupted by the transcendent arcane.

I'm very excited to see where they take his arc next. I like to think that this analysis can stand on its own, at least for now!

[tothecrucifieddeer]

10/01/24 [PRAYERS]

Please God, stop the existential dread, the murderous thoughts, the longing for alternate worlds--the transformation feelings--the religious pining...just stop it it. Please. I am trying my best to be an ordinary person and do ordinary things while following your instructions. I am, but they're going to lock me up somewhere or someone is going to get hurt if you don't keep my head on straight. I'm scared God. I am scared. Things are blurring, reality slipping into memory and dreams and strangeness. I am trying my very best to maintain stable footing and piece together sanity but the signals are all jammed. Pick it up and put it back together. I'll stay up too late tonight too but I'm trying to stay home and safe and keep my loved ones safe too. Don't do this to me. Please. Don't.

[thewordfortheday]

”I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”  (Luke 1:38)

That was Mary's response to the angel, when he told her that she was going to bear God's Son through the power of the Holy Spirit,the Messiah, God’s people had been waiting for hundreds of years. Imagine that! Mary was a virgin, she would surely be scorned as an immoral woman, maybe even stoned.  It was unthinkable. But Mary trusted God and wanted to do His will no matter the cost. Perhaps you can relate, perhaps you are facing an insurmountable challenge. Like Mary you want to do God's will for your life. Ask Jesus to help you to stand firm until He brings every promise He's made to you to fruition. Ponder and treasure His Word in your heart and pray for the Lord’s guidance and blessing. May the Lord establish you and fill your heart with joy and peace this Christmas Season.

[northwoodsfan]

Grace Nugget for 4.8.23

Grace Nuggets: Simple reminders of God’s great love for you.

[kdmiller55]

Do As You Have Spoken

16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your…